Virginia

Trans female disc golfer wins women’s tournament in Virginia after Calif. ban

Published

1 year ago

May 25, 2023

Trans female disc golfer wins women’s tournament in Virginia after Calif. ban

A transgender female disc golfer — banned from participation in a California event — won a women’s tournament in Virginia.

Natalie Ryan, a biological male, won a $356 payout after defeating five other women in the Lake Marshall Open in Montross over the weekend, Fox News reported.

Ryan’s winning score of 197 over three rounds bested second-place finishers Debbie Yoo and Kaitlyn Clay, who racked up 221, according to Disc Golf Scene.

In disc golf, players use a flying disc instead of a ball and clubs, and aim to complete each hole in the fewest throws.

“Natalie took home another 1st place finish this weekend, right here in VA at The Lake Marshall Open. It was the perfect time for her Tour Series disc samples to arrive!” Neptune Discs said on Twitter.

“The new discs look AMAZING and her stamp really pops in the rainbow foil,” the Virginia-based company added in the post, which included photos of Ryan holding a disc.

The athlete was barred from competing in the OTB Open, an event on the Disc Golf Pro Tour in Stockton, Calif., earlier this month.

In December 2022, the Professional Disc Golf Association tightened its rules on transgender participation. Ryan filed a discrimination lawsuit in February, saying the decision was based on “prejudice,” according to OutSports.

Natalie Ryan, a transgender female disc golfer, has won an event in Virginia after being banned from competing at a Disc Golf Pro Tour event in California.

Twitter/@NeptuneDiscs

US District Judge Troy Nunley granted Ryan a temporary restraining order to allow her to play.

“It appears there was an intentional act, the creation of a policy, that excludes individuals based on their protected status as transgender women,” Nunley wrote in his decision, OutSports reported.

“The Court makes no determinations as to whether this is sufficient to actually establish intentional discrimination, but it raises serious questions,” he added.

According to PDGA rules, a trans female may play in the women’s division if they meet one of the criteria involving a medical transition and testosterone level.

The judge took exception, writing: “This section appears to directly target an individual’s sex and gender by creating a temporal line when one must transition.”

“Those who fail to comport with this timeline are forever barred from the (Female Professional Open). This policy seems inextricably tied to sex and gender and, at this stage of litigation, the Court can see no way to separate them,” he wrote.

“Accordingly, the Court finds serious questions going to the merits of the intentional discrimination claim,” the judge added.

Natalie Ryan. — Ryan won a $356 payout after defeating five other women in the Lake Marshall Open in Montross.

But the tour later filed an appeal and won — and Ryan was removed after already completing the first round in fifth place.

“It appears that the district court lacks diversity jurisdiction over the [Disc Golf Pro] Tour because Plaintiff and at least one member of the Tour are citizens of Virginia,” the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals wrote in its decision, Ultiworld Disc Golf reported.

“For Ryan’s case to be heard in a federal court, one requirement is that the plaintiff (Ryan), who is a citizen of Virginia, must be totally ‘diverse’ (i.e., from a different state) than the defendants,” the site explained.

Social media post. — Neptune Discs announced Ryan’s Tour Series disc samples.

The Disc Golf Pro Tour said in a statement: “This order restores the DGPT’s ability to enforce its current policy on Gender Eligibility.

“The DGPT will follow the court’s ruling and enforce its Gender Eligibility Policy which will disallow Ms. Ryan from continuing competition in the OTB Open,” it said.

Ryan wrote on Instagram: “I will not be threatened, I will not be intimidated, I will not be erased. It is a breath of fresh air to be competing where I belong.”

“To all the trans folks out there that love this sport as much as I do, I’m here for you, we all deserve better,” the athlete said.

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Virginia

Obituary for Virginia Frances Stoots at Beckley Peace Chapel

Published

57 mins ago

November 19, 2024

Press Room

Obituary for Virginia Frances Stoots at Beckley Peace Chapel

Virginia Frances Stoots, age 81, of Beckley, WV received her heavenly promotion to be eternally with the Lord on Saturday, November 16, 2024. Born in Hotchkiss, WV on May 11, 1943, she was the daughter of the late Arnold Hatfield and Margaret Archie. Virginia was a retired manager from Ginos

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Virginia

15-year-old accused of shooting teen near Lake Edward in Virginia Beach

Published

9 hours ago

November 18, 2024

Press Room

15-year-old accused of shooting teen near Lake Edward in Virginia Beach

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — A 15-year-old boy is charged with shooting a teen over a week ago near Lake Edward in Virginia Beach, police say.

The shooting happened just before 7 p.m. on Sunday, November 10 in the 5000 block of W. Hastings Arch.

Police say officers responded to the shooting following an alert from ShotSpotter, which is technology that can detect gunshots.

Watch related coverage: Suspect arrested in deadly shooting at busy Portsmouth intersection

Suspect arrested in deadly shooting at busy Portsmouth intersection

Officers then found a 15-year-old boy from Virginia Beach who had been shot, police say. He was taken to the hospital with serious injuries.

Last Thursday, police charged a boy — also a 15-year-old from Virginia Beach — in connection to the shooting. He’s charged with malicious wounding and use of a firearm in commission of a felony, police added.

The shooting is still under investigation. Police ask anyone with information to call detectives at 757-385-4101 or Crime Solvers at 1-888-LOCK-U-UP.

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Virginia

Bowl Projections: West Virginia’s Stock Takes Big Hit Following Latest Loss

Published

16 hours ago

November 18, 2024

Press Room

Bowl Projections: West Virginia’s Stock Takes Big Hit Following Latest Loss

Another wasted opportunity at home for the West Virginia Mountaineers this past weekend as they fell to the Baylor Bears, 49-35.

Much of the conversation entering the week was about who head coach Neal Brown would start at quarterback. He turned back to Garrett Greene, who had an okay day throwing the football but did add over 120 yards on the ground to help fuel the Mountaineers’ offensive attack. It wasn’t his best overall performance, but it was more than enough to win.

Unfortunately, West Virginia’s defense returned to its struggling ways, allowing 512 yards of offense, 329 of which came through the air. Baylor’s 35 first-half points were the most of any Big 12 team in a league game this season.

With the loss, the Mountaineers essentially eliminated themselves from a spot in the Big 12 championship game, and their bowl stock took a massive hit.

Action Network: Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl vs. Army

Athlon Sports: Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl vs. Tulane

CBS Sports: Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl vs. Army

College Football Network: SERVPRO First Responder Bowl vs. East Carolina

College Football News: AutoZone Liberty Bowl vs. Vanderbilt

ESPN (Kyle Bonagura): Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl vs. Washington

ESPN (Mark Schlabach): Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl vs. Louisiana

West Virginia On SI: AutoZone Liberty Bowl vs. Arkansas

The Mountaineers have two games remaining in the regular season and must notch one more win to become bowl-eligible. This week, they’ll play host to the UCF Knights, who were everyone’s dark horse to win the Big 12 back in August. After getting out to a 3-0 start, the Knights lost five straight.

Despite most sportsbooks opening this week’s game with UCF as the favorite, I like West Virginia’s chances to get the win. They are a run-heavy team, and that’s the one thing the Mountaineer defense does fairly well.

If they fail to collect win No. 6 this weekend, it’ll all come down to their trip to Lubbock the following week. Texas Tech has Oklahoma State this Saturday and will likely be gunning for win No. 8 when West Virginia comes to town. If the Red Raiders win out, that will be their best regular season finish since 2009.

1. Valero Alamo Bowl vs Pac-12, Saturday, Dec. 28, 7:30 p.m. EST, ABC

2. Pop-Tarts Bowl vs ACC/ND, Saturday, Dec. 28, 3:30 p.m. EST, ABC

3. TaxAct Texas Bowl vs SEC, Tuesday, Dec. 31, 3:30 p.m. EST, ESPN

4. AutoZone Liberty Bowl vs SEC, Friday, Dec. 27, 7:00 p.m. EST, ESPN

5. Guaranteed Rate Bowl vs Big Ten, Thursday, Dec. 26, 5:30 p.m. EST, ESPN

6. Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl vs. Pac 12, Saturday, Dec. 28, 9:15 p.m. EST, ESPN